Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, And saw, within the moonlight in his room, Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom, An angel, writing in a book of gold! Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, And to the presence in the room he said, "What writest thou?"-----The vision raised its head, And with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so", Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerily still; and said, "I pray thee then, Write me as one that loves his fellow men." The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night It came again with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blest, And lo, Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. Hal
Love of fellow man is good, but is not what gets one's name in the Lamb's Book of Life. So this doesn't fit, in my opinion, as an atheist's poem.
I did not now what the Book of Life was and had to look it up. It isn't likely that I will ever be in it.
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so", Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerily still; and said, "I pray thee then, Write me as one that loves his fellow men." I would say it's the poem of a man who is worthy of having his name in the Book of Life. One of Jesus' main teaching was, "Love your fellow man."
But Lon, you can be. Anyone can, and the door is always open. Just as the hymn says: "Whosoever will may come. Whosoever will, whosoever will; Send the proclamation over vale and hill: 'Tis a loving Father calls the wand'rer home: Whosoever will may come."